If I could buy 200 gallons from a reliable station at a set price, I'd strongly consider it. For example, I would be committed to buy 200 gallons within 1 year at $3.55/gallon. If gas is $3.75, I win. If gas is $3.30, I would have paid more. If gas is cheap and I keep waiting hoping that it goes beyond my benchmark price, after a year, I have to either get the gas or pay.

Build yourself a big tank on your property. Then have tanker trucks deliver to you til you fill it up. Do this only when the price of gasoline is down. You may have to sell some to your neighbors to keep them from turning you in to the city planning commission. But, cheap gas will prompt them to keep their fat traps shut.

Basically you want a pre paid gas card but instead of using the current price you want to purchase the gas at the price when you originally bought the card. Sounds interesting, but a logistical nightmare.

Not saying the sytem could not be implemented but as a cautionary word of advice the last time a company tried to offer fixed pricing to the customer level for an energy product the product was Natural Gas and the name of the company offering the service was Enron.

I used to do that long ago up north and had my own underground tank which I also used with a tractor. But alas we all wish we had that about $.75 ago a few weeks back. But that is not the way it works. And now even with more oil in the US the price keeps going up, and yet refining is back up on the East Coast. The only way out is better MPG and a good alternative or hybrid for now.

He's not looking to buy and take possession of the gas all at one time and then, literally, pour it into his gas tank.He's looking to make a deal to buy 200 gallons of gas over the next year, getting a tankful of gas at a time from the local gas station, whenever he needs gas (just as he currently buys gas only when he needs it), except he wants to get an agreed on price and if prices go up, he gets to pay only what the agreed price was.

Essentially he wants to pay today's price (or an agreed upon price) and if prices go up in the future, he'll pay today's price. But, because he's only talking a relatively small amount over a long period of time, if the price of gas goes below the agreed on price, between now and the end of the year he'll buy gas on his own, or from another gas station, and paying for the gas at that time (by credit or cash), not buying gas against his "agreement" because that would be a higher price.

Basically he's looking to get the gas station to agree to a low price and then, when prices go up, he will pay the lower price, even if it means the gas station has to sell it to him below the wholesale cost the gas station has to pay.

Nothing stops you from buying gas futures. You're just saying you want to be a speculator, similar to those that many here complain about.

Just make an arrangement with a distributorship and/or a gas station with the proviso that you'll buy X number of gallons for $Y per gallon, as you suggested. Just expect that, because you're saying that you want to be a very small investor (buyer), it's unlikely that they'll agree to your purchasing that little over that long a period of time. After all, they have to be able to ensure that they don't lose money on the arrangement. They might, however, agree to your buying a small amount (such as you're saying) over a three or six month period. Or, you might want to get with others and commit to a larger purchase, essentially creating a cooperative among yourselves. Alternatively, you can say that you'll buy X amount per week, every week, at an agreed price.

Or, consider installing a holding tank and buy in bulk.

What you're saying, the way you posted it, is "I want to buy about ten fill-ups but on my terms." Trying the same intent with more favorable business terms for the gas station and you might get someone to be interested; but a gas station isn't going to sell fuel to you, no matter how much you say you'll buy, at a loss.

Just remember, by posting this thread, you are now saying you want to be a speculator in in fuel, meaning that you can't complain about other speculators. (And I don't mean that sarcastically). What you now need to do, if you haven't already done so, is when others complain about "speculators", you have to either explain their perspective, or at least be quiet.